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History and Philosophy of Physics papers — page 122

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The Asian war bow
The bow is one of the earliest complex machines, a prime example of the storage and transfer of energy. The physics of the bow illuminates compromises and design choices made in Asian military…
Timo A. NieminenJan 9, 2011
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A New Scientific Revolution at the Horizon?
At this beginning of the 21st century, the situation of physics is not without analogy with that which prevailed a hundred years ago, with the outset of the double scientific revolution of relativity…
Gilles Cohen-Tannoudji, Sylvain HudletJan 6, 2011
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What can we say about nature?
In this essay, I review the importance of languages in the study of reality, following the well-known aphorisms by Galilei, Bohr and many others. The emphasis on these aspects helps us to understand…
Luigi FoschiniJan 5, 2011
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The Einstein-Jordan conundrum and its relation to ongoing foundational research in local quantum physics
We demonstrate the extraordinary modernity of the 1924/25 "Einstein-Jordan fluctuation conundrum", a Gedankenexperiment which led Jordan to his quantization of waves published as a separate…
Bert SchroerJan 3, 2011
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The contribution by Domenico Pacini to the Cosmic Ray Physics
Between 1900 and 1913 several people were investigating about the unknown radiation, later identified as Cosmic Rays. Several experimentalist tried to identify the origin of this radiation and in…
Nicola GigliettoJan 2, 2011
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Unitary theories in the work of Mira Fernandes (beyond general relativity and differential geometry)
An analysis of the work of Mira Fernandes on unitary theories is presented. First it is briefly mentioned the Portuguese scientific context of the 1920s. A short analysis of the extension of Riemann…
José P. S. LemosDec 22, 2010
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Nationalism and internationalism in science: the case of the discovery of cosmic rays
The discovery of cosmic rays, a milestone in science, comprised scientists in Europe and the US and took place during a period characterised by nationalism and lack of communication. Many scientists…
Per Carlson, Alessandro De AngelisDec 22, 2010
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Lorenz's electromagnetic theory of light
The Lorenz electromagnetic theory of light, published two years after the Maxwell theory, starts by postulating that both scalar and vector potentials are retarded. We show that in spite of this…
C. W. WongDec 18, 2010
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The Coriolis Effect Apparently Described in Giovanni Battista Riccioli's Arguments Against the Motion of the Earth: An English Rendition of Almagestum Novum Part II, Book 9, Section 4, Chapter 21, Pages 425, 426-7
In his encyclopedic work on astronomy, the 1651 Almagestum Novum, the Italian Jesuit Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598-1671) argued against the movement of the Earth on the grounds that (among other…
Christopher M. GraneyDec 16, 2010
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Breaking the symmetry. The first steps of a new way of thinking
The concept of Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (SSB) represents a real breakthrough for present description of fundamental interactions by means of gauge theories. Although the underlying ideas were…
Ignazio A. SardellaDec 13, 2010
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A brief social history of astrobiology in Ibero-america
The work is divided into three sections: the first one describes the historical evolution of the main arguments presented about the plurality of inhabited worlds, from the presocratics to the birth…
Guillermo A. LemarchandDec 12, 2010
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A snapshot from the history of cosmic ray research: a Japanese scientist view
This short note describes the history of cosmic ray research. A part of this document was presented orally at the international conference of CRIS 2010 held in Catania, Italy. The document is written…
Yasushi MurakiDec 7, 2010
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Of Cats and Quanta: Paradoxes of Knowing and Knowability of Reality
The legacy of Post-Modernism is renewed attention to the issues of knowledge production. Now that post-modernism is out of fashion, the emphasis is no longer on the "cursed" questions…
Gennady ShkliarevskyDec 1, 2010
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General relativity, differential geometry, and unitary theories in the work of Mira Fernandes
An analysis of the work of Mira Fernandes on unitary theories is presented.
José P. S. LemosNov 29, 2010
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Felix de Roy: a life of variable stars
Felix de Roy (1883-1942), an internationality recognised amateur astronomer, made significant contributions to variable star research. As an active observer, he made some 91,000 visual estimates of a…
Jeremy ShearsNov 28, 2010
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Is the Quantum World Composed of Propensitons?
In this paper I outline my propensiton version of quantum theory (PQT). PQT is a fully micro-realistic version of quantum theory that provides us with a very natural possible solution to the…
Nicholas MaxwellNov 19, 2010
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Giovanni Battista Riccioli's Seventy-Seven Arguments Against the Motion of the Earth: An English Rendition of Almagestum Novum Part II, Book 9, Section 4, Chapter 34, Pages 472-7
In 1651 the Italian Jesuit Giovanni Battista Riccioli (1598-1671) published in his encyclopedic work on astronomy, the Almagestum Novum, 77 arguments against the Copernican movement of the Earth.…
Christopher M. GraneyNov 16, 2010
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Relativistic Constraints for a Naturalistic Metaphysics of Time
The traditional metaphysical debate between static and dynamic views in the philosophy of time is examined in light of considerations concerning the nature of time in physical theory. Adapting the…
Peter W. EvansNov 10, 2010
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Robert H. Kraichnan
Robert Harry Kraichnan (1928-2008) was one of the leaders in the theory of turbulence for a span of about forty years (mid-fifties to mid-nineties). Among his many contributions, he is perhaps best…
Gregory Eyink, Uriel FrischNov 10, 2010
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Further Argument Against the Motion of the Earth, Based on Telescopic Observations of the Stars: An English Rendition of Chapter 30, Book 9, Section 4, Pages 460-463 of the Almagestum Novum Volume II of G. B. Riccioli
The Italian Jesuit astronomer Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Riccioli constructed a powerful, thoroughly scientific argument in favor of geocentrism - an argument based on telescopic observations…
Christopher M. GraneyNov 9, 2010
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A cognitive approach to the topography of the 12th dynasty pyramids
The topography of the royal pyramids of the 12th dynasty is investigated in its historical and chronological context, in order to highlight connections between the architectural choices, the…
Giulio MagliNov 9, 2010
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A Review of One-Way and Two-Way Experiments to Test the Isotropy of the Speed of Light
As we approach the 125th anniversary of the Michelson-Morley experiment in 2012, we review experiments that test the isotropy of the speed of light. Previous measurements are categorized into one-way…
Md. Farid Ahmed, Brendan M. Quine, Stoyan Sargoytchev et al.Nov 5, 2010
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The Weather and its Role in Captain Robert F. Scott and his Companions' Deaths
A long debate has ensued about the relationship of weather conditions and Antarctic exploration. In no place on Earth is exploration, human existence, and scientific research so weather dependent. By…
Krzysztof SienickiNov 4, 2010
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Indigenous Astronomies and Progress in Modern Astronomy
From an anthropological point of view, the whole concept of a "path of progress" in astronomical discovery is anathema, since it implicitly downgrades other cultural perspectives, such as the…
Clive RugglesOct 23, 2010
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An Aboriginal Australian Record of the Great Eruption of Eta Carinae
We present evidence that the Boorong Aboriginal people of northwestern Victoria observed the Great Eruption of Eta (η) Carinae in the nineteenth century and incorporated the event into their oral…
Duane W. Hamacher, David J. FrewOct 22, 2010
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